Heating and/or cooling systems are a standard feature of most houses and buildings in the United States. The purpose of these systems is to maintain the house/building at a fixed temperature. Thus, during the winter months (or other periods of cold weather) the system will heat the building, whereas during the summer months (or other periods of hot weather), the system will cool the building. By maintaining the building at a desired temperature, the heating/cooling system makes the building safer and more pleasant for the occupants.
Generally, heating/cooling systems will comprise a large unit that is designed to heat/cool the air. These units will be referred to herein as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning units (“HVAC units”). HVAC units may include a “central air” system, a heat pump, a furnace, an air conditioner, a heater, etc. Often, in most modern systems (such as central air systems), the same HVAC unit is capable of providing both heating and cooling to the house/building. However, systems in which the heating unit is separate and distinct from the cooling unit are also known and widely used.
Because the HVAC unit is often a large unit, it will often be placed in an area that is “out of the way.” Thus, many HVAC units are installed in basements, furnace rooms, closets, storage rooms, attics, etc.
As is known in the art, the house/building will usually include vents or ducts that run to all areas of the house/building. Such vents are generally positioned under the floor, in the wall, in ceiling, or in other areas so that they will not detract from the overall interior décor of the building. The purpose of these vents is to channel/carry the heated/cooled air from the HVAC unit to all areas of the building. Thus, by having these vents, all areas of the building can be heated/cooled by the HVAC unit, not just the furnace room or area surrounding the HVAC unit.
In order for the vents to carry the air from the HVAC unit, the vents have to be connected to the HVAC unit. Such a connection between the HVAC unit and the vents is usually accomplished through a “fitting” or, as it is sometimes called, “duct work.” The specific piece(s) of duct work that is required for each building will depend upon a variety of factors including the size and type of the vents, the size and type of the HVAC unit, the size of the room that stores the HVAC unit, the location of the air supply that feeds the HVAC unit, etc.
Because this duct work is a custom-made piece, skilled professionals are generally needed to construct and design the fitting. Generally, this process will involve having the professional take measurements of the room, the appliance, the vents, etc. Using this information, as well as information obtained from the particular HVAC unit, the skilled professional can then design and plan out the size and specifications necessary to create the custom-made duct work piece.
Duct work is generally formed from a standard-sized sheet of metal (such as tin and steel). Accordingly, in order to make each custom-made piece of duct work, the skilled technician must generally put together a blueprint or design sheet which indicates how the standard-sized metal sheet should be cut, folded, etc. to form each specific duct work piece. These design sheets are generally referred to as “cut sheets.”
Once the cut sheet has been created, the skilled professional may, using the information outlined on the cut sheet, cut the standard metal sheet into the proper design for the duct work. Such cutting of the metal sheet is occasionally done on an expensive cutting device known as a plasma machine or a plasma cutter.
Because the process for creating a custom piece of duct work is so labor intensive, it is ripe with error. Such errors occur both in designing the duct work as well as in cutting out the duct work piece. Often skilled professionals make mistakes when they are creating/forming the custom-made duct work piece. Of course, these types of errors mean that the duct work design process may be very inefficient and often results in wasted time, resources, and money.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial if a new type of method and system for designing duct work could be developed that is efficient and cost-effective. Such a system and method is disclosed herein.